Apple Regains Top Spot in the Wearable Market in Q3 2017

Apple has managed to overtake Xiaomi to become the world’s largest wearable vendor in Q3 2017. The company’s strong comeback can be attributed to the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE, strong enterprise sales, and the lack of any new wearables from Xiamoi.

Data from analytics firm Canalys suggest that Apple shipped 3.9 million units of Apple Watch in Q3 2017 to grab 23 percent of the market share. Due to supply constraints though, the Cupertino company was only able to ship around 800,000 units of Apple Watch Series 3.

“Strong demand for the LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 has dispelled service providers’ doubts about the cellular smartwatch not appealing to customers,” said Canalys Analyst Jason Low. Despite strong shipments, the Apple Watch Series 3 did not reach its full potential in Q3. It suffered limited availability as demand outstripped supply in major markets. Service providers had underestimated demand for the new Apple Watch.

Xiaomi, previously the segment leader, was just 2 percent behind at 21 percent with shipments totalling 3.6 million units. Fitbit, once the market leader, shipped 3.5 million units to grab 20 percent of the market share. Samsung shipped 0.5 million units of its Gear S3 smartwatch, while Huawei shipped 0.2 million units of its Android Wear-powered Huawei Watch 2. Google’s Android Wear platform is nowhere to be found which can be attributed to Google’s poor commitment to the platform and lack of updates.

Apple Watch sales are expected to further improve in Q4 2017 thanks to the holiday season and an increasing interest among consumers for wearables. The inclusion of LTE has also led to an uptick in consumer interest in the smartwatch despite most reviews dismissing the LTE functionality.